To Sarasota County Commissioners:
The SE chapter of the American Littoral Society would like to comment on your deliberations concerning boat speed zones in Sarasota Bay. We are concerned that any speed zone increases would further endanger the manatee. We would also like to point out that the majority of boaters in the Bay are not power boaters but kayakers and their numbers are rapidly growing. Of the long-time kayakers I have talked to, to a person, they all have had unpleasant experiences with power boat wake and ignorance of right of way. Until mandatory training is required to operate a powerboat (where rules of the road, wake responsibility, and right of way are made clear) we feel lower speed limits and increased enforcement are necessary to protect both manatees and humans in the Bay.
Dave Bulloch - regional director
Ref: Manatee Zones Get New Look - Sarasota HeraldTribune